A mechanical failure in the catalytic converter of a truck traveling on Highway 156 sparked four fires spanning a mile in the San Juan Bautista area, according to fire department staff members.
At least one house was destroyed off Franklin Circle in San Juan Bautista on Monday afternoon, and several backyards burned, too.
One civilian was transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation, and a fire department captain was taken to a hospital for a shoulder injury, said Bill Garringer, interim fire chief for the Hollister Fire Department.
Calfire managed the remaining three fires along Highway 156 stretching 10 to 12 acres, said Dennis King, the Monterey battalion chief.
“I believe that all three of those are contained,” he said.
Look back for more.